


Emergency

by blk0912



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26580373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blk0912/pseuds/blk0912
Summary: Olivia is sick and Noah is worried. He calls the one person he knows will always be there for him and his mom.
Relationships: Noah Porter Benson & Olivia Benson, Rafael Barba & Noah Porter Benson, Rafael Barba/Olivia Benson
Comments: 10
Kudos: 56





	Emergency

**Author's Note:**

> As per usual, I was not planning on writing a new story, but a plot bunny attacked so here we are. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

Standing in what was now Rafael’s former office, Olivia could only stare down at the note written in the familiar handwriting. As she began to read, she took a seat on the couch that, like the office itself, held so many memories. 

_ Liv, _

_ If you’re reading this, it means that I’ve either been found guilty and gone to jail or I’ve resigned from the DA’s office. I instructed Carmen not to give it to you until after I left. You deserve more than I can give you. I'm so grateful for your support, I'm not sure I would have survived this trial without it.  _

_ You're my best friend and leaving you broke my heart. I hope you can forgive me for what I've done and know that I wish only the best things for you.  _

_ Always yours,  _

_ Rafa _

Wiping away her tears, Olivia placed the letter in her pocket and stood to leave, glancing around the office once more before leaving. 

* * *

A few weeks later, Olivia was sitting on the couch in her own office when she heard her door open. 

"Liv, we need-" Fin began, stopping when he saw how pale his friend was. "Are you okay?"

"Just tired," Olivia replied with a wave of her hand. 

"You're pale and startin' to shake. Have you been to the doctor?"

"I'm just feeling a little under the weather. I'll be fine."

Fin shook his head. "You're goin' to the doctor, Liv."

Olivia sighed. She knew Fin was right. 

"I need you here," she told him.

"I'll have Amanda take you."

* * *

Sitting in his room, clutching Eddie tightly, Noah let himself cry. He knew his mom was sick and in the hospital. Everyone told him she would be fine, but he was worried. Reaching for the phone his mother had given him for emergencies, he found the number for the person he wanted and pressed the call button.

* * *

As he walked into his apartment, Rafael set his bag down as he heard his cell phone ring. Seeing the name of his best friend's son on the screen, he immediately accepted the call.

"Noah?" He asked as he answered. "Are you okay?"

"Uncle Rafa," Noah's tearful voice replies.

"What's wrong?"

"Momma's in the hospital. She's sick."

Rafael immediately felt panicked, but he knew he couldn't let Noah know that. Taking a deep breath, he did his best to reassure the little boy. 

"Your Mom's in good hands,  _ amigo _ , I promise. She'll be home as soon as she can."

"I miss her. I miss you. Why don't you want to be with us anymore?"

Rafael felt his heart break. "It's not that I don't want to,  _ amigo _ ."

"Then why aren't you here?!"

"Noah…"

"Why don't you want us?" Noah cried. "Why don't you want me?"

"I  _ do _ want you. You  _ and _ your mom."

"We need you, Uncle Rafa."

"I'll be there soon. Okay?"

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Grabbing his bag again, Rafael quickly turned and left for Olivia's apartment. 

* * *

Hearing a knock at the door, Lucy was confused. Then she thought maybe it was one of Olivia's squad members who was stopping by to see Noah. Opening the door, she was surprised to see Rafael there. 

"Mr. Barba," Lucy said, barely managing to hide her surprise. "Liv isn't home…"

"I'm here to see Noah. He called me."

Lucy stepped back to allow the former ADA to enter the apartment. "I need to talk to Noah," she said, turning and walking back to Noah's room.

* * *

"Noah," Lucy said as she opened the door. "Did you call Mr. Barba?"

"He's my Uncle Rafa!" Noah corrected. 

"Did you call him?"

"Momma said he would  _ always  _ be there for us!"

Lucy sighed. "He's here."

Those seemed to be the magic words, as the boy rushed out of his room and down the hall. When he saw Rafael, he ran directly toward the man. "Uncle Rafa!"

Rafael knelt, catching the little boy in his arms and hugging him tightly. "Noah," he whispered, lifting a hand to the back of his head. 

"Rafa," Noah repeated, burying his face in Rafael's shoulder. 

* * *

Later that night, after Lucy had gone home, Rafael sat on the couch with Noah on his lap. The boy had been especially clingy since he'd arrived earlier, barely letting him out of sight. Lucy had been kind enough to wash his clothes while he fed and bathed Noah. He was now wearing sweatpants and a Harvard t-shirt while the boy had a pair of Paw Patrol pajamas on. They had just finished the first book Noah had chosen when his cell phone rang. 

"What can I do for you, Rollins?" Rafael asked as he answered. 

"Liv is sick. She's asking for you."

"I know. I'm with Noah."

"How?"

"He called me."

"Well, I guess that saves me a phone call. Liv wants to see him, too."

"I was just settling him in for the night."

"Hang on. Let me give Liv the phone."

Rafael waited while Amanda handed the phone over, rubbing Noah's back soothingly as he did so. 

"Rafa?" He heard Olivia's voice come over the phone. 

"Liv," he breathed in response. 

"You're with Noah? How?"

"He called me."

"How?"

"That phone you gave him for emergencies. I’m guessing you programmed my number into the phone and never deleted it...and then programmed that number into my phone as well.”

“Which you never deleted.”

“Which I didn’t know was there to begin with...but I wouldn’t have even if I did.”

“How’s Noah?”

“Better now I think. We ordered some pizza, I gave him a bath, helped him put on his pajamas. We had just finished our first story when Rollins called.”

“Thank you.”

Unsure how to respond to that, Rafael instead asked his next question. “Do you want me to bring him by in the morning?”

“I’d like that.”

“How long are they keeping you for?”

“A couple of days at least. Will you stay?"

He knew she didn't just mean with Noah. "Yes," he answered. 

"Can I talk to Noah?"

"Sure." Nudging Noah gently, he held the phone out. "It's your mom."

"Momma?" Noah asked as he brought the phone to his ear.

"Hi, my sweet boy."

"I miss you."

"I miss you, too. So, you called Rafa?"

"I was worried about you. You told me I could always call him if I needed him."

"I know."

"Are you mad?"

"No, honey. I'm not mad. I feel better knowing you're safe with Rafa."

"We ordered pizza and Rafa watched Paw Patrol with me."

Olivia smiled at the thought of Rafael sitting with Noah and watching the children's cartoon. "Did you thank him?"

"Yes."

"Good boy."

"Are you coming home soon, Momma?"

"I hope so. The doctors want me to stay another night and then they will see if I'm ready to go home. We need to give the medicine time to work."

"When can I see you?"

"Rafa will bring you tomorrow."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too, sweet boy. Be good for Rafa. Can you give him the phone back?"

Pulling the phone away from his ear, Noah held it out for Rafael. Once the older man had taken the phone back, he laid his head on his chest and closed his eyes.

"Liv?" Rafael asked as he began to rub Noah's back. "What do you need?"

"Can you bring me my laptop and a change of clothes when you bring Noah by tomorrow?"

"Yoga pants and a t-shirt?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay. I can do that. Get some rest, Liv."

"Goodnight, Rafa."

* * *

"Hold my hand," Rafael instructed Noah as they walked into the hospital. 

Olivia had given him her room number and he had brought the items she was looking for. Lucy had stopped by that morning to check on Noah, so she had volunteered to pack a bag while Rafael made breakfast. The three of them ate together, Noah having convinced her to stay for the meal, and Rafael learned she was studying to be a teacher with a minor in psychology, and he made a mental note to introduce her to his mother. She still considered herself a teacher, even though most of her job was now administrative. 

"Can we get something for Momma?" Noah asked, pointing to the gift shop.

"I don't see why not."

* * *

By the time he and Noah walked out of the gift shop, Rafael had purchased a bear stuffed animal holding a heart as well as some of Olivia's favorite chocolate and a bag of goldfish crackers for Noah to snack on later. Noah had also talked him into a new coloring book and crayons, which the cashier had put in a separate bag for the boy himself to carry. 

* * *

"Momma!"

Looking over to the doorway, Olivia smiled when she saw her son and Rafael enter. "Hi, my sweet boy."

"Can I hug you?" Noah asked as he approached. 

"Yes," Olivia answered.

Looking up at Rafael, Noah tugged on his hand. "Will you lift me? Please, Rafa?"

"Sure," Rafael replied, lifting the boy onto the bed next to Olivia. "Should we give Momma her present?"

Noah hugged Olivia before snuggling into her side and nodding at Rafael. 

"A present?" Olivia asked. 

"Rafa and I got it for you."

Rafael lifted the bear out of the larger bag and handed it to Olivia. "Noah picked it out."

Olivia smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of Noah's head. "I love it. Thank you. Both of you."

Rafael pulled a chair up next to the bed and reached for Olivia's hand. 

"So, what's this I hear about Rafa watching Paw Patrol?" Olivia asked, looking between Rafael and Noah. 

* * *

Blinking her eyes open, Olivia winced at the bright light. She was in Rafael's bedroom. No,  _ their _ bedroom. Looking down at her left hand, she saw her engagement and wedding rings. 

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, her gaze fell on a picture on the bedside table. Her, Rafael, Noah, and the newest addition to their family, a little girl named Miranda. The picture had been taken on the day of the girl's adoption party. 

"Livia, you okay?"

Looking up at the sound of her husband's voice, Olivia smiled at him. "I'm fine, Rafa. Just had a very strange dream."

Rafael walked over and bent to kiss her. "What about?"

"You left after the Householder case. Gave me this speech about how your life was like High Noon and I brought color into it. Then I was reading a note you left that Carmen said you told her to give me. I also got sick and ended up in the hospital. Noah called you and you came back...and then I woke up."

Rafael chuckled as he took a seat next to her on their bed. "Livia, we watched High Noon last night, and I  _ did _ mention that you brought color into my world and opened my heart, but it wasn’t any kind of goodbye speech.. As for the Householder case, that was in Queens. I  _ did _ leave SVU around that time, but only temporarily, because McCoy asked me to help with a difficult case involving all five boroughs. We've been together for four years, married for two. You  _ were  _ in the hospital, you had a pretty bad infection, but you've been home since yesterday."

"You're still the ADA for SVU?"

"Yes. Well, Executive ADA, technically."

"Where are the kids?"

"In the living room."

"Why did you let me sleep in the middle of the day?"

"Because you still need to take it easy. Fin is handling things at the precinct and ADA Samuels is covering for me for a couple of-" Rafael began to explain, stopped by the sight of a small purple blur running into the room. 

"Mommy!"

Olivia smiled as she lifted her daughter onto her lap. "Hi, sweet girl. Where's your brother?"

"Playing Lego."

"And you,  _ corazoncito _ , were supposed to be watching Lumpy's movie."

"It's over now."

Olivia pressed a kiss to Miranda's head as she looked over at Rafael.

"Mom? Dad?" 

"Noah!" Miranda exclaimed. 

Rafael chuckled, turning to see Noah standing in the doorway. 

"You can come in,  _ mijo _ ," he said. "Your sister is already here."

Noah walked into the room and smiled when Rafael lifted him onto his lap. "Are you feeling better, Mom?"

"Yes, my sweet boy."

"You slept for a long time."

"I still need to rest a bit more than usual, but I'm feeling a lot better now."

"Can we go to the park now?" 

"It's raining, honey, so that's not really a possibility right now."

Noah frowned. Then a different idea occurred to him. "Can we build a fort?" He asked, looking between his parents. 

"What do you think,  _ mija _ ?" Rafael asked Miranda. 

"Fort?" She repeated. 

"In the living room, with the couch and chairs and blankets," Noah explained. 

"Lovey allowed?" She asked, referring to her bear stuffed animal.

"Lovey was in my dream, too," Olivia remembered. 

"You'll have to tell me more about this dream of yours later,  _ mi vida _ . I believe we have a fort to build." 

* * *

Lying in the fort, both kids asleep between them, Olivia caught Rafael's gaze and smiled at him. 

"You sure you're okay?" He asked. 

"More than," Olivia answered. "That was just a messed up dream."

"I don't know why I left in your dream, but I'm sure I was just as heartbroken as you about it. I love you, Livia.  _ Mi alma gemela _ ."

Olivia carefully sat up and leaned over to kiss him. "I love you, too, Rafa.  _ Mi alma gemela _ ."


End file.
